Air compressor aftercooler piping

[screamindemon]

I put a B&M transmission cooler on my 5 HP compressor. The air coming out is WAY cooler. I've never measured it, but you can tough the exit line, not so for the inlet. As you can see in the pics, it exits right to an air/water separator. This is also setup to drain on every cycle (that plumbing wasn't in place in these photos). The water separator has water in it after every run. Since adding this, I've never gotten any water out of the tank drain when I open it. I figured the cooling fan for the compressor would move enough air and it seems to work well.

I didn't want the line hanging off the cooler so the steel frame has supports. I hose-clamped the lines to the steel supports. This was in 2012, no problems since.

I have seen many people doing this and love the idea. I may do this next. My problem is the run from my compressor to my first drop is only 8 feet and the copper tubing will allow for the proper distance for the water to drop out. I actually have an after cooler with a fan that was mounted to an A/C air dryer someone gave me but the Dryer has stopped working. This was mounted after the tank before the first drop. When this was working it helped a ton but now that it has failed I have alot of water.

 

[ericm]

It seems like getting the water out before the air goes to the tank would reduce rust in the tank.

 

[pcmeiners]

With a non refrigerated cooler, 30% of the water in the air will remain to produce rust

8 feet of copper pipe will do little, the cooler below is non restrictive (3/4" tube), has swirl tubes, copper tubes, over 300psi rated, the right size for 5hp compressor, much better than the B&M unit.......

Hayden 1260 Heavy Duty Oil Cooler

Heavy Duty Universal Oil Cooler

partshawk.com

 

[Wiz02]

With a non refrigerated cooler, 30% of the water in the air will remain to produce rust

8 feet of copper pipe will do little, the cooler below is non restrictive (3/4" tube), has swirl tubes, copper tubes, over 300psi rated, the right size for 5hp compressor, much better than the B&M unit.......

https://partshawk.com/hayden-1260-a...PJ7D6v9yn5YMpf60KiF4AfGL4G-CmYaAhhfEALw_wc24B

I was going to use that aftercooler in the line between the pump outlet and the tank, but I am too chicken to cut that line on a new compressor, so I am going with 24+ ft of 3/4 tubing after the tank instead.

I don't understand why an aftercooler isn't a factory option on the cheaper 5hp 175 PSI compressors.

 

[Firstram]

With a non refrigerated cooler, 30% of the water in the air will remain to produce rust

8 feet of copper pipe will do little, the cooler below is non restrictive (3/4" tube), has swirl tubes, copper tubes, over 300psi rated, the right size for 5hp compressor, much better than the B&M unit.......

Hayden 1260 Heavy Duty Oil Cooler

Heavy Duty Universal Oil Cooler

partshawk.com

I used a Hayden 1299 oil cooler with a fan (post #10). Your 30% guesstimate is off by a factor of 10, it should read 3%. After a weeks use in summertime Atlanta we might get an ounce or two out of the tank. The self draining separator I upgraded to always has a puddle under it.

 

[pcmeiners]

Have the Db1290, I am not off on the moisture content left after an air cooler, though 70% makes it possible to paint a car without having drops of water interfere with the paint job. In NYC, in the summer my coalesence filters just after the coolers would have a constant flow at 95°. On my first 5hp compressor I also had an intercooler (Db1260), cooler between the first and second stage, it also dropped out water, and made the air denser, going into the second stage.

"After a weeks use in summertime Atlanta we might get an ounce or two out of the tank."

There was still moisture in the tank, unless the temperature was brought down below freezing.

"I don't understand why an aftercooler isn't a factory option on the cheaper 5hp 175 PSI compressors."

Because the bean counters at the manufacturers would be having heart attacks.

"so I am going with 24+ ft of 3/4 tubing after the tank instead."

There will still be considerable moisture in the output after 24 feet of 3/4" tubing. Copper is a good conductor of heat but a poor radiator of heat, especially bright copper; also 3/4" does not provide a large surface area. The swirl coils within the Hayden coolers make up for the limited surface area of the copper tubing. After years of oxidation, when the copper becomes darker, it radiation output improves. Black copper, either chemically darkened, anodized or painted is a better radiator.

 

[BMEP]

@pcmeiners I should check the humidity in my air, would be interesting to know what the RH is. I do know that anything below 40% and bare steel/iron will not rust. However, that doesn't mean the water isn't doing harm elsewhere. I have no doubt a refrigerated cooler would remove more moisture. That's something I've been thinking about adding for my plasma cutter. I will say, with the setup I have, It's nice knowing there's not a pool of water in the bottom of the tank.

 

[Firstram]

Have the Db1290, I am not off on the moisture content left after an air cooler, though 70% makes it possible to paint a car without having drops of water interfere with the paint job. In NYC, in the summer my coalesence filters just after the coolers would have a constant flow at 95°. On my first 5hp compressor I also had an intercooler (Db1260), cooler between the first and second stage, it also dropped out water, and made the air denser, going into the second stage.

"After a weeks use in summertime Atlanta we might get an ounce or two out of the tank."

There was still moisture in the tank, unless the temperature was brought down below freezing.

"I don't understand why an aftercooler isn't a factory option on the cheaper 5hp 175 PSI compressors."

Because the bean counters at the manufacturers would be having heart attacks.

"so I am going with 24+ ft of 3/4 tubing after the tank instead."

There will still be considerable moisture in the output after 24 feet of 3/4" tubing. Copper is a good conductor of heat but a poor radiator of heat, especially bright copper; also 3/4" does not provide a large surface area. The swirl coils within the Hayden coolers make up for the limited surface area of the copper tubing. After years of oxidation, when the copper becomes darker, it improves. Black copper, either chemically darkened, anodized or painted is a better radiator.

Of course there’s still some moisture the aftercooler doesn’t remove but, I’m curious how you come up with only 70% efficiency. I have a desiccant dryer and filters to polish the air for the plasma or painting. I can go for months before rejuvenating the color changing desiccant beads.

I’m using a Hayden cooler twice the size of the one you listed. It’s fully shrouded, has positive airflow and drops the air temperature down to 10 degrees above ambient at 175 psi.

 

[niget2002]

I've had water come out of the hose after the water separater in the right temp humidity. If I'm doing something that can't take moisture, then I put an inline filter on the end of the hose right before the device.

 

[BCreekDave]

Here’s my temps with a fan forced aftercooler. I went with a fan forced unit as my compressor runs pretty slow and the built in fan doesn’t move much air. I’ve got a water separator right after the cooler that drains on the floor below the tank. It makes a puddle that evaporates. If I am doing a lot of media blasting I’ll put an old milk jug to drain into and dump it afterwards.

 

[Firstram]

Here’s my temps with a fan forced aftercooler. I went with a fan forced unit as my compressor runs pretty slow and the built in fan doesn’t move much air. I’ve got a water separator right after the cooler that drains on the floor below the tank. It makes a puddle that evaporates. If I am doing a lot of media blasting I’ll put an old milk jug to drain into and dump it afterwards.

Thats perfect! I feel like a separate fan should always be used instead of relying on the stock cooling fan. All the heat removed from the cooler should blow away from the compressor, not directly onto the cooling fins!

 

[BCreekDave]

Thats perfect! I feel like a separate fan should always be used instead of relying on the stock cooling fan. All the heat removed from the cooler should blow away from the compressor, not directly onto the cooling fins!

Here is a picture of the compressor with the aftercooler mounted

 

[BMEP]

Here’s my temps with a fan forced aftercooler. I went with a fan forced unit as my compressor runs pretty slow and the built in fan doesn’t move much air. I’ve got a water separator right after the cooler that drains on the floor below the tank. It makes a puddle that evaporates. If I am doing a lot of media blasting I’ll put an old milk jug to drain into and dump it afterwards.

That looks great!

 

[pcmeiners]

Of course there’s still some moisture the aftercooler doesn’t remove but, I’m curious how you come up with only 70% efficiency. I have a desiccant dryer and filters to polish the air for the plasma or painting. I can go for months before rejuvenating the color changing desiccant beads.

I’m using a Hayden cooler twice the size of the one you listed. It’s fully shrouded, has positive airflow and drops the air temperature down to 10 degrees above ambient at 175 psi.

If you did a little google research there are numerous references to the moisture content after an aftercooler, as per the link below, it varies a bit depending on temperature and other variables. As to an air cooler twice the size of a Hayden 1290, it is way overkill as a 1290 for my 5 hp compressor is over kill. My 1290 fins at the bottom of the cooler are at just above ambient. Yes you can get more than 70--75% moisture removal if you have a desiccant dryer after an aftercooler, have one for my plasma cutter.

All About Compressed Air Aftercoolers | VMAC Air Compressors

What are compressed air aftercoolers and why are they required? Find out in this blog by VMAC, the global leader in mobile air compressors.

www.vmacair.com

"I feel like a separate fan should always be used instead of relying on the stock cooling fan."

Unless your compressor does not have fan blades within the pulley, and you can not mount the cooler in front of the pulley, an electric fan is unnecessary and a waste of electric.

"I do know that anything below 40% and bare steel/iron will not rust."

As to rust, on my tank I have a 3/4" x4" magnesium anode, attached at my tank drain, installed off a pipe Tee. My tank still get a small amount of water, even with coalescence filters, likely because those filter do not catch all water droplets, and the tank temperature varies with ambient temperature thus the anode